The Truth about the Racetrack - Death Valley National Park
What? Rocks that magically move across the ground when no one's watching? Sounds crazy. But that's what happens at the Racetrack, a playa (dry lake bed) at Death Valley National Park. If you've done any research on the Racetrack, then you probably know that the mystery of how the rocks move has been solved. So no, I'm probably not going to blow any minds repeating what's already known.
What I DID want to accomplish with this video was to create a trail guide to make it easier for people to plan their trip to the Racetrack. Have you read that the roads are rough? Well, I show you them in the video. And for good or bad, I tried my best to align your expectations with the reality of the Racetrack...because it wasn't what we were expecting at all.
The Racetrack itself is located about 26 miles southwest from the Ubehebe Crater in Death Valley National Park. The road to the crater is paved, but you turn off onto an unpaved backcountry road. The sign reads "4WD high clearance recommended" and the road is notorious for popping tires. I've been on much worse roads, but that doesn't mean you should take this one lightly. It's very remote, and we saw it living up to it's tire ruining reputation first hand. Do NOT drive this road during/immediately after a decent rain.
Go prepared. Bring food, water and have your directions clearly marked; use a map and/or GPS device. It may be a little over board, but we also brought a personal locator beacon with us. There is no cell reception.
Once you reach the Racetrack, check it out. You can't drive on it, but you can walk anywhere you want. There is a cool rock 'island' on the north end that is worth seeing, but the moving rocks are at the far south end. Once you're there, make sure you go out far enough onto the playa towards the mountains. That's where most of the rocks are.
Dogs are not allowed at the Death Valley Racetrack, and I saw several no camping signs. I believe you can camp reasonably close by, just not right at the Racetrack itself. But verify this with the park to be sure.
Anyway, it was a really cool adventure. I've never seen anything like it. Hope you enjoy the video and find it helpful.